Western MonasticismChristian monasticismChristian monasticism is the devotional practice of individuals who
live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to
Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the
Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals,
including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an
institution in the scriptures. It has come to be regulated by
religious rules (e.g. the Rule of Saint Augustine, Anthony the Great,
St Pachomius, the Rule of St Basil, the Rule of St Benedict,) and, in
modern times, the
Canon lawCanon law of the respective Christian denominations
that have forms of monastic living. Those living the monastic life are
known by the generic terms monks (men) and nuns (women)
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John The BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist (Hebrew: יוחנן המטביל‎, Ancient Greek:
Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής, Iōánnēs ho baptistḗs or
Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων, Iōánnēs ho
baptízōn,[5][6][7][8][9], Coptic: ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ
ⲡⲓⲡⲣⲟⲇⲣⲟⲙⲟⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ
ⲡⲓⲣϥϯⲱⲙⲥ[10], Arabic: يحيى‎,
translit. Yaḥyā[11]) was a
JewishJewish itinerant preacher[12] in
the early first century AD. John is revered as a major religious
figure[13] in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith,[14] and
Mandaeism. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions, and is
honored as a saint in many
ChristianChristian traditions. Other titles for John
include John the Forerunner in Eastern
ChristianityChristianity and "the prophet
John" (Yaḥyā) in Islam
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State Of Perfection
In Christianity, the term state is used in various senses by
theologians and spiritual writers.[1]
The word is used in the classification of the degrees or stages of
Christian perfection, or the advancement of souls in the supernatural
life of grace during their sojourn in the world. This has reference to
the practice of all the virtues, both theological virtues and moral
virtues, and to all their acts both external and internal
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Philokalia
The
PhilokaliaPhilokalia (Ancient Greek: φιλοκαλία "love of the
beautiful, the good", from φιλία philia "love" and κάλλος
kallos "beauty") is "a collection of texts written between the 4th and
15th centuries by spiritual masters"[1] of the Eastern Orthodox Church
mystical hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the
guidance and instruction of monks in "the practice of the
contemplative life."[2] The collection was compiled in the eighteenth
century by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of
Corinth.
Although these works were individually known in the monastic culture
of Greek Orthodox
ChristianityChristianity before their inclusion in the
Philokalia, their presence in this collection resulted in a much wider
readership due to its translation into several languages
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ChastityChastityChastity is sexual conduct of a person that is deemed praiseworthy and
virtuous according to the moral standards and guidelines of their
culture, civilization or religion. The term has become closely
associated (and is often used interchangeably) with sexual abstinence,
especially before marriage and outside marriage.[1][2]Contents1 Etymology
2 In Abrahamic religions2.1 Christianity
2.2 Islam
2.3 Bahá'í Faith3 In Eastern religions3.1 Hinduism
3.2 Sikhism
3.3 Jainism
3.4 Buddhism
3.5 Daoism4 See also
5 References
6 External linksEtymology[edit]
The words "chaste" and "chastity" stem from the
LatinLatin adjective castus
meaning "pure". The words entered the English language around the
middle of the 13th century; at that time they meant slightly different
things
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Essenes
The
EssenesEssenes (in Modern Hebrew: אִסִּיִים‬, Isiyim; Greek:
Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, Essenoi,
Essaioi, Ossaioi) were a sect of Second Temple
JudaismJudaism which
flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. The Jewish
historian
JosephusJosephus records that
EssenesEssenes existed in large numbers, and
thousands lived throughout Roman Judaea, but they were fewer in number
than the
PhariseesPharisees and the Sadducees, the other two major sects at the
time. The
EssenesEssenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal
life dedicated to asceticism (some groups practised celibacy),
voluntary poverty, and daily immersion. Many separate but related
religious groups of that era shared similar mystic, eschatological,
messianic, and ascetic beliefs
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ElijahElijahElijah (/ɪˈlaɪdʒə/; ih-LY-jə; Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ‬,
Eliyahu, meaning "My
GodGod is Yahu/Jah"[1][2]) or
EliasElias (/ɪˈlaɪəs/
ih-LY-əs; Greek: Ἡλίας Elías; Syriac: ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ‎
Elyāe; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, Ilyās or Ilyā) was a prophet
and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel[3]
during the reign of
King AhabKing Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books
of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18,
ElijahElijah defended the
worship of the Jewish
GodGod over that of the Canaanite deity Baal
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Icon
An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn "image") is a religious work of
art, most commonly a painting, from the Eastern Orthodox Church,
Oriental Orthodoxy, and certain
Eastern CatholicEastern Catholic churches. The most
common subjects include Christ, Mary, saints and/or angels. Though
especially associated with "portrait" style images concentrating on
one or two main figures, the term also covers most religious images in
a variety of artistic media produced by Eastern Christianity,
including narrative scenes.
Icons may also be cast in metal, carved in stone, embroidered on
cloth, painted on wood, done in mosaic or fresco work, printed on
paper or metal, etc
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Saint Anthony The Great
Saint Anthony or Antony (Greek: Ἀντώνιος, Antṓnios; Latin:
Antonius, Coptic: Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓ, lit. Avva
Antoni; c. 251 – 356) was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered
since his death as a saint. He is distinguished from other saints
named Anthony by various epithets: Anthony the Great, Anthony of
Egypt, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the
Anchorite, and Anthony of Thebes. For his importance among the Desert
Fathers and to all later Christian monasticism, he is also known as
the Father of All Monks. His feast day is celebrated on January 17
among the Orthodox and Catholic churches and on Tobi 22 in the
Egyptian calendar used by the Coptic Church.
The biography of Anthony's life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped to
spread the concept of Christian monasticism, particularly in Western
Europe via its Latin translations
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